by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 10,054 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 83rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,510 and had an average of $21,514 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 2,317 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,373 and $17,380 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,780 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,720 and $23,024 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 89 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. That schools that top this list have a program in philosophy in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The philosophy school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region”.
Out of the 89 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mount Angel Seminary landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Saint Benedict, Oregon, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Out of the 89 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Out of the 89 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Bothell Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is located in Bothell, Washington and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Philosophy at University of Washington - Bothell Campus
Out of the 89 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Westmont College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pitzer College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Reed College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara
Whitman College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in Walla Walla, Washington, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
University of Puget Sound landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tacoma, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Occidental College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #10. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #11, Scripps College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region list. Scripps College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #12, Pomona College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region list. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Willamette University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Salem, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Hawaii at Hilo landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UH Hilo is a public institution located in Hilo, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Holy Names University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 155 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 63 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Philosophy Report
Santa Clara University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. SCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Whittier College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. Whittier, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Sonoma State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Riverside came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in Moraga, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Seattle University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Seattle U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, Linfield University - McMinnville Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region list. Linfield University - McMinnville Campus is located in McMinnville, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Berkeley
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
